CA2332060A1 - Method for producing fiber reinforced webbing material from recycled vehicle tires - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for producing a rubberized fibers strip from a vehicle tire, such as tires having several fiber layers embedded in rubber. The interior rim or bead is removed. The tire is the cut into two tire halves. The tread is pulled off the tire. Each fiber layer, as embedded in the rubber is pulled from the remaining fiber layers. The pulled off fiber layer is embedded by rubber. The layer is then fed through a cutter and strips of rubberized fiber is provided.

Description

i RECYCLED TIRES
1. Field of the Invention The prese:,t invention relates to a process and apparatus for producing fiber reinforced webbing material from discarded vehicle tires. The process thereby utilizes a product which otherwise amounts to one of the fastest growing and already greatest environmental hazards and eyesores in the world. The process makes use of the just about the entire tire and only leaves the interior rim or beads of the tire for further recycling . The product that is being made by the process is a fiber-reinforced rubber stripping, which may, for example, be utilized in the furniture business for supporting any upholstery seating and/or cushions or bedding surfaces.
The fiber-reinforced rubber stripping exhibits preferred characteristics and qualities over the burlap or hemp yarn product that is most commonly used for supporting seats.

2. Description of the Related Art A constant increase in the number of vehicles also account for to a constant increase in discarding used tires.
As of yet, there is no satisfactory tire recycling solution, let alone rubber reclaiming process, that is utilized anywhere in the world. Thus, an increasing environmental problem which is associated with discarded used tires continues to increase.

The size cf stockpiles of discarded tires have long filled up the designated few landfills. In order to successfully recycle a tire, the tire has to be first separated into the constituents of the tire, that is, the rubber has to be S separated from the steel belt and the rim or beads. There have been several attempts of stripping the rubber material from the metal or fabric reinforcement, however, most methods are not economically feasible, and thus not lucrative.
Most recycling processes are geared toward separating the rubber from Lhe rest of the tire. Only certain products are known to me made of recycled/reclaimed tires, for example, mud flaps, shoe/sandal soles and ground covers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process for recycling and reclaiming vehicle tires for the purpcse of producing a product which is useful and marketable in today's economy. One particular application of such recycling method is to produce a fiber reinforced rubber webbing material or rubberized fiber material, suitable, for example, to be used for supporting upholstery seats and /or cushions in furniture or bedding or lying surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object to the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus for recycling and reclaiming portions of useless, discarded fiber reinforced vehicle tire.
It is a further object to the present invention to provide a process for recycling and reclaiming major portions of a discarded fiber reinforced vehicle tire for obtaining a fiber reinforced webbing material.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recycling and reclaiming major portions of a discarded fiber to produce an fiber reinforced webbing material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide by the disclosed process_ an elastic, fiber reinforced webbing material useful, for example, for under-seat webbing for chairs, seats, couches and beds. However, this rubberized fiber strip may be used wherever a resilient or slightly elastic or flexible stripping is utilized.
This invention describes a process for preparing a discarded tire tc be dissected into several layers of reusable flat layers of rubber/fiber material. Such flat layers are then cut into bands or strips of different width suitable for forming under-seat webbing for a variety of seating or lying.
Accordingly, a method for producing a rubberized fibers strip from a vehicle tire having a plurality of fiber layers embedded in rubber, is provided, in which the tire is cut into two tire halves, a tread layer is being removed from one tire half; each fiber layer is pulled from the remaining plurality of fiber layers such as to obtain a fiber layer embedded in rubber and in which the fiber layer embedded in rubber is cut into strips. Further, the pulling of each fiber layer is facilitated from the remaining plurality of fiber layers by separating each fiber layer by an incision into the rubber adjacent to the fiber layer. Also, the interior bead rims are removed from the tire before cutting the tire into two tire halves. Thus, after the removing of both interior bead rims from the tire, the tire is cut into two tire halves, forming cross-sectional cut lines. An incisions is performed about perpendicular to the cut line of the tire and into the rubber adjacent to the tread to form a corner flap of tread.
The formed flap of tread is clamped into a first gripping device, such as a vive clamp. A corner of the remaining tire half is clamped into a second gripping device. The tread is pulled off the tire half by moving the gripping device away from each other. Another flap is formed by an incisions adjacent to the first fiber layer embedded in the rubber and the that flap is clamped into a stationary vice clamp. The remaining tire half is clamped into a movable gripping device.

By pulling the remaining tire half, the rubber-embedded fiber layers is the rubber and the rubber adheres to the fiber when being pulled off the tire half by moving the gripping device away from the tire half. The second flap formed by the incisions adjacent to a second fiber layer is clamped into a stationary vice clamp. The corner of the remaining tire half is clamped into a movable gripping device. The rubber-embedded fiber layer is pulled off the tire half by moving the gripping device away from the tire half. All remaining fiber layers are being pulled off until ail layers are separated from each ether and the tire half is dissembled entirely. Each rubberized fiber layer may now be cut into strips of rubberized fiber. Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are intended solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
in the drawings, wherein like reference numerals delineate similar elements throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a 5 perspective view of a tire, as it prepared for use in the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the tire of FIG. l, as it is further prepared according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the tire of FIG. 2, with the tread being removed and the first layers being separated on a corner;
FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the over-all set up for the method of obtaining individual rubberized fiber layers from the tire;
. FIG. 5 A and B illustrate the same layer of rubberized fiber;
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a strip cutting machine;
FIG. 7 is a block chart of the method according to the invention;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical vehicle tire 10 as used in the present invention. A pneumatic tire is generally reinforced by layers of relatively inextensible cords 22 that hold the air pressure and restrict deformation and growth of the tire 10 during use. To this end, cord materials must have high stiffness, resistance to repeated flexing, high strength-to-weight ratio, and good adhesion to rubber. Tire cords have been made of cotton, rayon, nylon, polyester and glass, but steel and polyaramid (an extremely hard and stiff synthetic fibre) are currently the dominant materials in use.
However, tires without steel are still very common and are preferred in this invention.
Various rubber compounds are used in different parts of the tire. The liner, which is - intended to minimize the loss of air, is usually made of butyl rubber because that material has a low permeability to gas. Sidewalk 14, on the other hand, must resist scraping, flexing, and attack by ozone in the air.
A typical formulation for sidewalk (measured in parts by weight of each ingredient) would be 50 parts natural rubber (for resistance to heat buildup), 50 parts butadiene rubber (for abrasion resistance), and 50 parts carbon black (for reinforcement), along with small amounts of processing oil, antioxidant, and protective wax. A tire's treads is designed especially for resistant to abrasion. Compounds for the tread 12 might have no natural rubber at all but rather 65 parts styrene-butadiene rubber (for hardness and abrasion resistance), 35 parts butadiene rubber, and as much as 65 parts carbon black.
The addition of carbon black or silica as reinforcing agents in rubber compounds has greatly prolonged tire life.
Also contributing to longevity are the abrasion-resistant polymer polybutadiene and improved vulcanization systems.
Vulcanization is the interlinking of rubber molecules in order to create a usable elastic solid. It is conducted by heating the rubber mix along with sulfur and various additives in a tire mold for a certain time at a specific temperature.
Tires, such as the tire 10 shown in FIG. I are discarded when the sidewalk are prematurely damaged or when the treads of the tire are used up to a point where do not provide does not provide the required abrasion characteristics.
In the present invention, truck tire without steel layers, but with several cord layers are preferred. Depending on the size, make and type of tire, a truck tire may have many more layers than a tire for a small vehicle. Truck tires are the preferred initial products of the process described in the figures. FIG. 2 shows the preparation of a fiber layered tire. The tire is prepared for further processing by being thoroughly washed. The most interior rim 16, also called the bead, is cut out off the tire 10 with an industrial knife.

In an industrial application of the process or the present application, the cutting may also be accomplished by a cutting machine. After the interior rims 16 are removed, the tire is cut into two halves. The cutting is accomplished by any suitable means, such as an industrial knife or a saw having a blade suitable for cutting rubber. After the tire is cut, the cross-sectional layers of fiber layers are visible, as they are sandwiched between the rubber. A truck tire, for example, may have as many as 16 layers of fiber layers sandwiched between the rubber. From the corner 20 of the cut line 19, knife incisions are made into the rubber layers located between each fiber layer. An area of fiber, having rubber layers on each side are loosened enough from the tire to form a corner flap 26. The corner flap 26 is then clamped into a stationary vice-type clamp 30 and the remaining corner 28 of the tire is also being clamped into a gripping device 40. The gripping device 40 is connected to an extended steel rope 42 which is guided over a crank shaft 50 connected to a controllable speed motor 70. Upon controllably turning of the crank shaft 50, the rope 42, attached to the gripping device 40 holding the remaining tire corner 28 is being pulled away from the corner flap 26. The corner flap 26, which is the corner of the first cord/rubber layer 27 starts to separate further from the tire half 18 until the entire layer 27 is entirely pulled off.
A 2-4 mm thick rubberized fiber layer 27 is pulled-off as described. After the entire layer is pulled off, the layer does not support its original shape when it was part of the tire. Thus, when placed on a horizontal surface, the rubberized fiber layer forms an almost flat rubber/fiber/rubber/sheet.
After the first layer 27 is pulled off the tire half 18, the procedure is repeated for pulling the second layer off:
The corner 26 of the next rubber/cord/rubber layer 27 is fixed in the vice-type clamp, the remaining tire corner 28 is being clamped by the gripping device 40 and pulled away from the corner flap 26. The corner flap26, which is the corner of the second cord/rubber layer 27 starts to separate further from the tire half 18 until the entire layer 27 is entirely pulled off. The same procedure is repeated until the rubber/fiber/layers are all pulled apart. The flat rubber/fiber/rubber sheets are then fed into a cutting machine, which slices the sheets into strips having about the same width. The slicing machine comprises preferably two rollers, each equipped with a plurality of circular cutting blades, spaced apart in about equal distances. For rotating the rollers, the rollers are connected via gears to each other and one roller is connected to a drive, such as a motor.
Thus, while there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as I5 applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (4)

1. A method for producing a rubberized fibers strip from a vehicle tire having a plurality of fiber layers embedded in rubber, said method comprising the steps of cutting the tire into two tire halves;
removing a tread layer from one tire half;
pulling each fiber layer from the remaining plurality of fiber layers such as to obtain a fiber layer embedded in rubber;
cutting each fiber layer embedded in rubber into strips.

2. The method for producing a rubberized fibers strip as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of facilitating the pulling of each fiber layer from the remaining plurality of fiber layers by separating each fiber layer by an incision into the rubber adjacent to the fiber layer.

3. The method for producing a rubberized fibers strip as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of removing both interior bead rims from the tire before cutting the tire into two tire halves.

4. A method for producing rubberized fiber layers from a vehicle tire including a plurality of fiber layers within the rubber, comprising the steps of (a) removing both interior bead rim from the tire;
(b) cutting the tire into two tire halves, forming cross-sectional cut lines;
(c) performing an incisions about perpendicular to the one of the cut lines and into the rubber adjacent to the tread to form a corner flap of tread;

(d) clamping the flap of tread into a stationary vice clamp;
(e) clamping a corner of the remaining tire half into a movable gripping device;
(f) pulling the tread off the tire half by moving the gripping device away from the tire half;
(g) clamping the first flap formed by the incisions adjacent to a first fiber layer embedded in rubber into a stationary vice clamp;
(h) clamping the corner of the remaining tire half into a movable gripping device;
(i) pulling the fiber layers within the rubber off the tire half by moving the gripping device away from the tire half;
(j) clamping the second flap formed by the incisions adjacent to a second fiber layer within the rubber into a stationary vice clamp;
(k) clamping the corner of the remaining tire half into a movable gripping device;
(1) pulling the fiber layer within the rubber off the tire half by moving the gripping device away from the tire half and forming a rubberized fiber layer;
(m) repeating steps (j) through (1) until all fiber layers embedded in the rubber are pulled apart.